Cog and Rack Railroads in North America

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

In other parts of the world, cog-and-rack operations have been used to overcome steep grades, such as the line between Santos and Sao Paulo in Brazil. Aside from tourist lines such as Manitou & Pikes Peak and Mt. Washington Cog, have there been any cog-and-rack operations on line-haul railroads in North America?[?][?]

[mudchicken]

Argentine & Grays Peak RR allegedly was at one point here in Colorado with grades over 6%. We also had a good number of funiculars.

[martin.knoepfel]

Madison & Indianapolis had at least one cog section. Later, the teethed rail was torn out when new engines could make it without rack.

at Pittsburgh, there has been an electric cog and adhesion railroad for suburban traffic

In Colorado, the Broadmoor (?) Zoo had / has a cog railroad

check out in Hefti: "Zahnradbahnen der Welt" (AFAIK available only in German)

the US had funiculars in various places like the east, Pitttsburgh, Cincinnati et. al., the goal of these funicular sections was to overcome steep grades to move coal-cars, streetcars etc. Of course, one could have built rack-sections instead.

[daveklepper]

Just slightly off topic: Are there any rack railroads in the British Isles other than Mount Snowdon? Snaefiel Mountain on the Isle of Man uses adhesion with a raised center "Fell Rail" for braking.

[martin.knoepfel]

AFAIK, the Snowdon is the only cog railway on the British Isles.

Of course, the first cog railway ever (designed by Blenkinsop?) ran on the British Isles. But that was early 19th century. The teethed rail was not laid between the rails but on one side. Very odd, from an engineering point of view, but it worked for several years.

BTW, Santos-Sao Paulo used to be an incline, until the older track was rebuilt as a cog railway